The Assassin Series: Merean
by Little Miss Massacre
Summary: No one would ever want a freak like her. She would always be the outcast, always be the one on the fringes of society. She was a freak, and the daughter to a murderer.
1. The New Ones

**Well, hello to whoever is reading this. This is the sequel to my first story Achroi. If you haven't read Achroi yet, I suggest you do otherwise you'll probably get confused. Anywayys, please read and tell me what you think. I'm going to need a lot of help with this. Enjoyy!!**

_Chapter One_

The creature stared back with eyes the colour of liquid amber. It's teeth were long, sharp and jagged; a killers teeth. It breathed heavily, waiting for instructions.

Midir paced around the creature studying it critically.

"What can it do?" Midir barked to one of his scientists, the infamous Dante Reggins. Dante stepped forward and pointed to various parts of the creature.

"It has impeccable smell. It can smell a specific humans scent from a mile away. Its eyesight is amazing, almost as good as a vampires," Dante said as he circled the creature, "it is in-humanly fast, reaching speeds of up to 25 km/h. And as for its teeth, well, I'm sure you can figure out what kind of damage they'd cause."

"Is it as fast as a vampire?" Midir asked, finally looking at the creature with some type of appreciation.

"No, sir. Not as fast as a vampire. But faster than any human or wolf," Dante answered.

"And was it meant to turn out like this?" Midir asked, gesturing to all the fur that covered the creature.

"No, it wasn't," Dante answered frowning, "it was meant to look like a human and have all the characteristics of a vampire. But I think something went wrong."

"You _think_ something went wrong?" Midir said raising his eyebrows.

"I _know_ something went wrong," Dante said correcting himself, "but first impressions can be deceiving. At first it just looks like some kind of scraggly wolf that can stand on two feet, but if you take the time to look closely you'll see that it also has some human traits."

"Explain," Midir ordered.

"Well, he is not just a wolf," Dante said, "he is also a human. He can change to the shape of a human at will. He can also change to a wolf whenever he feels like it. But it is extremely painful for him to transform into a wolf. It seems that he finds it easier to change when it is night."

"So he is like a vampire. He needs the night," Midir stated.

"Yes, indeed."

"He's like a killing machine."

"That was what I planned."

"What are they called?"

"I call them a werewolf."

"Brilliant," Midir said excitement welling in his chest, "how many more are there?"

"There's exactly one hundred, sir, with more on the way. I'm trying to see if I can perfect it to have the best wolf traits and the best traits of a vampire. If I can achieve that and replicate it, I believe you will have the ultimate army of the best killing machines."

"Excellent," Midir said smiling evilly, "now get back to your lab. I want more of these made as soon as possible. We have a war upon us, even if nobody knows quite yet. And I want to be prepared so I can wipe out these pathetic vermin called humans."

***

Midir stared out the window of his office onto the darkening streets of Myanmalla. The partygoers were just starting to appear and head to all the clubs that lined the back streets of the city. No doubt his son Ash would be among them, seducing some pitiful human girl then having some fun with her. Midir returned to his desk and stared at the papers that were strewn across it. He picked up one piece of paper that had several notations scribbled on it and studied.  
It was the plans for the werewolves, the super vampires gone wrong. They were supposed to be the ultimate vampire, the superior killer of the night. But something had gone array, and they had turned into mindless balls of fur; or so he had thought when he first saw them. But now that Dante had explained them to him properly, he had a feeling that they would be much more useful than a super vampire. A super vampire would eventually get a mind of its own and run off to do its own thing, but these werewolves would stay loyal to him; not like those despicable elders who had thrown him off the council and stripped him of his titles when his laboratory had been discovered.

Midir went over the strengths of the werewolves, delighted as to how many there were. As for weaknesses, there was only one Dante knew of: silver. But nobody would be smart enough to think of silver to kill a werewolf. So they were, in every sense, unbeatable. Midir stopped poring over the papers when he heard someone enter the room. Midir swivelled slowly in his chair to face his son, Ash.

Ash's lanky frame leaned up against the doorway, his arms folded against his muscular chest. He had allowed his ash-blond hair to grow just past his ears and fall lazily over his eyes, which were an electric blue. He stared at Midir, mouth twitching as he took in Midirs rumpled appearance and the messy office.

"Something you see amuses you?" Midir asked, straightening the papers and making sure to hide the papers on the werewolves.

"Everything about you amuses me, Midir," Ash said as he pushed himself off the doorway and stood up straight. Ash stood just below six feet, which gave him a couple inches on Midir.

"And why is that?" Midir asked, clasping his hands together and leaning forward as Ash dropped into the chair opposite his.

"Because for an evil mastermind, you are seriously unorganised," Ash said gesturing to all the piles of books and papers that littered the office floor.

"Well, not everyone's perfect," Midir, said.

"Yes, you're right. No one is like me," Ash said as he grinned lazily. Anybody who had overheard this would think of Ash as stuck-up, but in fact he was telling the truth. He was a dhampir, half human half vampire. The best of both worlds, as Midir had said.

"Of course not. No one's like Ash the Great," Midir mocked. Ash just grinned even wider. "Now, why are you here?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm here because I'm bored," Ash said as he flexed his arms.

"I see. And what would you like me to do about that?" Midir asked leaning back and sighing. Ash was so restless; he could never stay in one place for too long. He had only arrived back in Myanmalla a week ago and already he was bored. Midir didn't have enough people that needed to be "offed" to keep Ash satisfied.

"Got any new targets?" Ash asked, "anyone who needs to disappear…permanently?"

"No, not really," Midir answered, "you've been working too fast for me to gain any new enemies."

"Well, you're boring aren't you?" Ash said sighing disappointedly.

"Well, you shouldn't enjoy your job so much," Midir reprimanded.

"How can I not enjoy my job? Being an assassin is awesome: the stalking, the killing, and the screams. It's great," Ash said, his face lighting up as he reminisced.

"Yes, well maybe you should stop being so great for a while and go back to being normal again. School starts soon, you know."

"To hell with school," Ash said angrily, "I shouldn't have to mingle with God forsaken humans. I'm a dhampir for crying out loud."

"I don't care," Midir said, standing up, "I've made up my mind. You'll be returning to school next month. I've enrolled you at Zodiac High. If you can mange to stay out of trouble for a whole semester, I may let you lose on the world again."

"And if I don't behave?" Ash asked.

"No more assassinations for you, my boy."

***

Merean walked through the empty streets quietly, trying not to draw any attention to herself. She stepped into a side street and continued east, heading for the outskirts of town. She hadn't stepped foot in Ollabandia for over 400 years, and it felt awkward to be walking through it now. 400 years ago, Ollabandia had been this tiny town on the edge of the Evannha Forest. Hardly anyone had lived there, and those who did soon moved on to bigger and better places. But her family had stayed in the town for more than 200 years when the first Gallagher's had moved here. Now there were no Gallagher's here at all, well, not direct descendants anyway.

The town had changed so much. The small warehouses on the edge of town had been transformed into huge factories; the inns that lined May Street were now luxurious hotels and small, cheap motels; Main Street was covered with small boutiques, cafes, restaurants, banks and the occasional jeweller. The outskirts of town, which had been surrounded by small farms, had been changed to massive suburbs with houses ranging in size and price. There were only a few of the original houses remaining, some were in excellent condition and others were just falling apart. Merean continued to walk down the winding streets, stopping every now and then to marvel at the monstrous houses that had been built there. Yup, Ollabandia was no longer the small farming town it once used to be.

Merean rounded a corner and started walking more slowly as she entered the part of town that had been preserved. The original houses of Ollabandia stood on either side of her, quietly creaking in the shadow of the setting sun. Merean continued down the road then stopped and stared. It was still there, the Gallagher Homestead; her home. Merean had to mentally order herself not to sprint up to the house and run through all the wide, beautiful rooms. She walked quietly up to the chain link fence and gracefully jumped over it, not caring if anybody saw her. She walked up the grassy hill towards the house, stopping to stare at the giant cherry blossom tree that grew just in front of the stables. She remembered climbing up into that tree and bawling her eyes out when Da had told her something that she now wished she never knew.

Merean walked past the cherry blossom and stood on the wide, sweeping veranda that surrounded the entire house. She closed her eyes as she remembered countless times when Da had chased her around that veranda and swung her high up into his arms. She took a deep breath and placed her hands on the front door handle. _This is it_, she thought, _you've finally found the courage to go home._ Merean pushed gently against the door and it swung forward, inviting her home once more.

**Well, that was chapter one. I hope you liked it. I'd really appreciate any reviews, even flames are welcome.  
Well thanks for reading!**

**VampSa (Sarah)**


	2. The Gallagher Homestead

_Chapter Two_

Merean breathed in deeply the musky smell of old furniture and swept her long gaze over the entrance foyer. Everything was how it looked 400 years ago, although the wallpaper was peeling and slightly yellow and the floor could have used a good sweep. She walked over the oak floorboards and into the sitting room, dust rising in the air around her.

The old, plush couches were worn and covered in a fine layer of dust. The grand piano in the corner was slightly chipped and a few keys were missing. The oil paintings that hung on the wall were missing, probably stolen centuries ago by some over excitable persons.

Merean walked through a side door into the large kitchen. Everything was still here: the old polished cupboards that had once been full of the most delicious canned goods, the brick chimney with the charred fireplace, and the marble bench where she used to sit countless times while waiting for her dinner when she was young. The only things that had changed were the gas stove that had been added and a refrigerator. She rifled through all the drawers, finding the silverware that Grandmama had cherished the most. These were supposed to go to Merean, but that was before had she run away.

She walked back out into the sitting room then through two large mahogany doors that led to the dining room. The dining room had changed only a bit. The wallpaper had been removed and replaced with a garish red paint and the mantelpiece had been removed from above the fireplace. The table was still mahogany and the chairs still matching. She remembered sitting at this table when she was ten and entertaining some guests with a new trick she had learnt.

Merean retreated out of the room and decided to explore the new areas of the lower floor that had been renovated and changed. A study had been built next to the dining room and a small indoor greenhouse had been added behind the kitchen. She arrived at the elegant, sweeping staircase and bounded up the stairs. The hall was the same, except a rug had been added. All the doors were still the same polished oak. Merean pushed open one door and poked her head inside. It was Granddad and Grandmama's room. The small four-poster bed stood in the middle of the room, the purple quilt Grandmama had made was tattered and ripped. The dressing table and bureau were still there, and no doubt there were some clothes in the drawers. She closed the door again and proceeded down the hall. She peered around Da's room, finding nothing of interest. His bookcase was there, although empty and his bed was broken at the head. Merean continued down the hall before stopping at a door that had always lingered in her memory.

She took a deep, steadying breath and slowly crept inside. Her room had remained the same. Her four-poster bed with the midnight blue curtains was in almost perfect condition; her dressing table was fine, although the mirror was slightly cracked; the bookcase was empty but all her books were back in her apartment in Shinansiling; and her wardrobe doors were barely hanging on the hinges. She sighed and walked through the room, looking for her most treasured item, the one she had been forced to leave behind. She searched high and low, but she couldn't find it.

Growling, Merean turned and left her old room, trudging angrily down the stairs.

_I'll bet any money that Da took it away,_ Merean thought angrily as she marched through the foyer and slammed the front door closed. She didn't bother to explore the stables or the servants' quarters, they were of little interest to her now that she knew that her precious keepsake wasn't there.

She checked her watch and cursed. It was eight twenty-two and if she didn't hurry, she'd miss the last bus back to Shinansiling. Merean bounded over the fence and tore down the empty streets towards the centre of town. She sped past late-night stragglers and ignored the shouts as she knocked people over. She rounded a corner…and fell flat on her butt.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" an angry voice shouted down to her. Merean ignored them, rising to her feet and bru.

"What do you think you're doing?" the voice repeated again.

"Running for the bus!" Merean retorted. The guy she had run into stared back angrily, his electric blue eyes piecing her foggy grey ones. His ash-blond hair was slightly tussled and his face was twisted into an annoyed grimace. She noticed a few paper bags split and their contents littering the pavement.

"Running for the bus? No one needs the bus that urgently," the guy said, ignoring the paper bags and continuing to stare at her.

"Well, I do," Merean said and she rudely pushed past him and resumed her mad dash for the bus. She made it just in time, banging on the doors as the bus slowly crawled out of the bus station. The driver glared at her as she jumped on and walked to the back. She plonked down in a seat and rested her head against the window. She was exhausted and angry that she hadn't found what she was looking for. Not to mention she was stuck on this damn bus for another four hours. But within ten minutes, Merean was out like a light.

***

Ash grumbled as he picked up the contents of the paper bags that had spilt when that crazy girl had run into him. _Nobody needs the damn bus that urgently_, he thought with irritation as he salvaged what he could then straightened up again. He had been walking towards the Gallagher Homestead when she had slammed into him. Then she had been rude and run off again.

So now he was off again, with half the supplies he had originally started with. He had no idea why Midir had asked him to come here; he only knew that he wanted Ash to find something. And whatever that something was, it must've been important because Midir had a fit when Ash refused. Ash trudged up the dimly lit streets, looking out for a sign that would say he was nearing the original homesteads of Ollabandia. He didn't have to walk for long. He found the street then continued up it, knowing that the Gallagher Homestead stood at the end of the street.

Ash rounded a corner and stopped and stared at the homestead. A large cherry blossom tree stood in front of what must have been the stable and as for the homestead, well, it was massive. Ash jumped over the chain link fence and walked up the grassy hill towards the house. He paused on the wide, sweeping veranda when he noticed footprints in the dirt on the veranda. _Someone must have been here recently,_ Ash thought as he pushed open the front door. He walked into the entrance foyer and looked around. He could see the staircase from here and could vaguely remember Midir saying that he had to go upstairs into one of the bedrooms. He did as he was instructed, walking slowly up the stairs and proceeding to the last bedroom on the left. Midir had said that this was where the thing he wanted was.

Ash walked into the room and surveyed everything. There was a four-poster bed with midnight blue curtains; a dresser with a cracked mirror; an empty bookcase and a wardrobe with broken doors. Ash walked forwards and rifled through the drawers in the dresser then continued to search the wardrobe. He looked under the bed and even checked the bookcase for any secret compartments. It wasn't here. The thing Midir wanted wasn't here. _Dammit,_ Ash thought, _now I have to go back to school._ When Midir had asked Ash to find that something, he had promised that if Ash found it he wouldn't have to go back to school and he'd have a new target to hunt. But Ash had failed, and now he was going to school.

It didn't seem fair to him. Even though Ash looked like your everyday seventeen-year-old, technically he was over four hundred. Dhampirs stopped growing when they reached a certain age. Ash had stopped growing when he turned seventeen, but even then he was only five years old. Dhampirs aged really fast, meaning he looked like a seventeen-year-old boy when he had only been alive for five years. But years had passed and Ash stayed the same, meaning he looked like he should still be in school and not out killing people.

Ash walked back towards the centre of town, dawdling because he didn't want to have to face Midir straight away. He walked slowly down Main Street, looking through all the windows and watching drunks spill out of pubs onto the sidewalk. Finally he had had enough of sight seeing and returned to his car. He climbed into his sleek black Mercedes and sped off into the night.

***

Merean woke to her head slamming against the window as the bus ran over a pothole. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and realised she was back in Shinansiling. She clambered off the bus clumsily and looked around for a taxi. She finally found one sitting in the shadows, the driver probably hoping that no one would see him so he didn't have to drive anywhere. _Bad luck, buddy boy,_ Merean thought as she tapped on the window.

The driver looked at her warily then unlocked the back door. Merean climbed in and told the driver where to go. He looked at her as if she were crazy then took off up onto the main road. Merean stared out the window, watching everything go by in a blur. The taxi rounded a bend and slowed down. They had come to the west side of the city; the bad side. The driver pulled up next to the curb and told her to get out; he didn't want to have to go any further. Merean got out; payed the fare then walked the two blocks to the apartment building she stayed at. She unlocked the iron security gate then opened the door. She walked quietly through the dark and empty lobby, and then stumbled up the dark stairwell.

She found her room, unlocked the door and walked inside. She dumped the keys on the kitchen bench and looked around. The small kitchen was relatively clean, although the small dining table was covered in newspapers and letters. She walked through into the small lounge room and checked the answering machine: nothing. She then continued to the small bedroom and flopped onto the double bed. She kicked off her shoes and quickly fell asleep.

**Sorry, it's not very good. I find it hard to write things set in the modern world. I'm looking for someone who'd want to be my Beta Reader and help me out. I'm also looking for someone to help out writing the parts in Ash's point of view. If anyone would like to help, PM me and I'll give you my details and tell you whats going to happen.  
Anyways, hope you enjoyed it and please review!**

**(LoL, hi guys! This is Emily aka Palace-Of-Nightmares, Sarah doesnt know I'm writing this. hehe. But you MUSt reveiw :) reveiw because its an awesome story and it will only get better)**

**Vampsa (Sarah)**


	3. Rosstaria

_Chapter Three_

Merean woke to the sound of pounding on her apartment door. _Bugger off,_ Merean thought grumpily. The pounding grew louder and louder as Merean rolled over onto her stomach and threw the pillow at the wall. _God dammit, bloody little...._ Merean grumbled mentally as she rolled off the bed and plonked onto the floor. Her long, waist-length brown hair covered her face in a tangle of knots and her fog grey eyes stared at the ceiling glassily. She clambered slowly up and sat back on her heels. She rubbed her eyes and tried to block out the continuous pounding. Finally, she gave up and trudged towards the front door.

"What?" she grumbled angrily as she threw the front door open. A young girl her age with flaming red hair stood leaning against the wall with an amused expression on her face.

"Gee, someone's not a morning person," the girl said as she laughed at Mereans disgruntled expression.

"You know damn well that I'm not a morning person," Merean said angrily as she stepped aside and the girl swept in. Aislin stood in the middle of the kitchen and surveyed everything with her forest green eyes. Her brow creased as she saw all the newspapers and letters that littered the dining table, and then stomped over to the cupboards. Her frown increased when she saw what the cupboards contained: nothing.

"What the heck do you eat around here?" Aislin asked as she turned to face Merean with her hands on her hips.

"Oh, this and that," Merean responded waving an airy hand, "that's if I even remember to eat."

"You're a stick," Aislin said pouting, "and you smell funny. When was the last time you showered?"

"Hey! I showered yesterday morning!" Merean exclaimed indignantly.

"Uh huh, whatever," Aislin said as she moved to the lounge with Merean following grumpily.

"Well, at least this room's relatively clean."

"Told you I'm not a complete slob," Merean grumbled darkly under her breath.

"You can quit with the cursing and the mumbling, Rean," Aislin said as she moved to the bedroom, "I'm your best friend for a reason." Aislin rummaged through the dressing table, stopping every now and then to scowl at a broken piece of something.

"Do you own any cosmetics? Any at all?" Aislin exclaimed.

"I used to…before they disintegrated," Merean replied happily.

"Weirdo," Aislin muttered as she moved to the closet.

"I wouldn't open that if I were you," Merean warned, but Aislin just sneered at her and opened the closet doors anyway. Aislins jaw dropped as she turned to face Merean.

"When was the last time you shopped for clothes?!" Aislin asked gesturing wildly to the empty closet.

"Ahh…" Merean answered guiltily.

"Right. That's it," Aislin said as she grabbed Merean by the arm and dragged her towards the front door.

"What are you doing?" Merean asked, staring at her friend.

"What I should have done a long time ago," Aislin said, still dragging Merean.

"What's that? Oh, OH! Oh, no! No, no, no, no. NO! No way! Nuh uh! NOT GOING!" Merean bellowed as Aislin dragged her down the stairs into the musty lobby.

"Oh yes," Aislin said as she pulled a set of car keys out of her pockets and pointed them at a rusty old Ford.

"No…." Merean whimpered.

"Yes. Merean, my friend, we're going shopping."

Three hours later, Merean arrived back at her apartment with her arms full of shopping bags, aching feet and a massive headache. Aislin had dragged her through every store in the local shopping mall, including all the shops that Merean absolutely hated. She'd made her by all sorts of ridiculous shoes, which Merean knew that she'd _never_ wear, not even in a thousand years.  
Then Aislin had dragged her into all the designer clothes stores; shovelling clothes into Mereans already overloaded arms (and overloaded credit card). And then, of course, Aislin had dragged her to her pet hate: the cosmetic stores. Oh, how Merean loathed Aislin for that. She knew damn well that Merean hated make-up, and that she'd also never wear any of the gunk, but she'd dragged her there never the less. So now Merean was sitting on her over-stuffed couch, an aspirin and a glass of water in one hand and the TV remote in the other. She settled back against the couch and watched anything that caught her fancy, as long as it didn't have anything to do with shopping.

***

Ash trudged up the stairs slowly; deliberately avoiding the moment when he'd have to walk into Midir's office and tell him that the precious thing he was looking for wasn't there. He walked quietly through the empty halls, knowing that in a few weeks he'd be back in a stinking classroom listening to a stinking human telling him crap he didn't need to know or already knew. God, how he hated school. Ash continued to complain mentally when someone walked out of Midirs office. The young girl walked down the hall towards him, a confident smile planted on her face. She nodded briefly to Ash, and then continued on her way. Ash stared at her for a while, then took a deep breath and braced himself for Midirs wrath.

"Ash, you're back early," Midir said as he absently dipped his finger into a glass that contained a deep red liquid.

"Well, ah, there wasn't much to do," Ash said as he flopped into the chair opposite Midirs desk and stretched out his legs.

"What do you mean?" Midir asked as he sat also and leaned his elbows against the desk, fingers interlacing.

"Well, um," Ash said slowly as he scratched his head, "um, that thing…you were looking for…"

Yes, what about it?" Midir asked patiently, too patiently.

"It, well, it wasn't…there," Ash said slowly, watching Midir closely for any sign of a violent reaction.

"It wasn't there?" Midir asked.

"No, it wasn't there," Ash repeated.

"Hmm, interesting," Midir said as he sat back and sighed.

"How's it interesting?" Ash asked frustrated, "I have to go back to school now!"

"Hmm? Oh, you won't be going back to school, Ash," Midir said as he rummaged through his drawers.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, "I don't have to go back? Awesome! This means I get to go…. hang on. Why aren't I going back?"

"Because I need you to do something," Midir answered, oblivious to the suspicious look that was now planted on his sons face.

"What do you want?" Ash asked warily, "Does it have anything to do with that strange girl I met earlier?"

"What girl?" Midir asked, his head snapping up instantly.

"Just this random girl who ran into me in Ollabandia. I think she had been snooping around the old Homestead as well, 'cause when I got there, there were dusty footprints on the floor. Not to mention she reeked of the place."

"What did she look like?" Midir asked, losing interest in whatever he was looking for.

"I don't know; I wasn't really paying attention to her. I was too angry 'cause she almost knocked me over and-"

"What did she look like?" Midir snapped.

"Ummm…"Ash said as he stared at Midir weirdly, "Why is what she looked like so important?"

"Don't worry about that," Midir snapped, "just tell me what she looked like!"

"Um, okay, well, she had long brown hair, and I mean really long hair. Uh, greyish eyes, tall, skinny, and too skinny if you ask me, and well, she was just plain weird. And she didn't look…human. Well, she looked human, but I got some kind of vibe from her that she was, well, something else."

"Merean," Midir breathed.

"Who?" Ash asked utterly confused.

"The girls name is Merean," Midir said, growing excited and rummaging through his drawers once more. He found what he was looking for and shoved a photograph into Ash's face.

"Is this what she looked like?" Midir asked as Ash took hold of the photo. He studied it carefully, looking at the hair and the eyes.

"Yeah, it's her. Why? Is she important?" Ash asked as he handed the photograph back.

"Yes, she's very important," Midir answered, as he slid the photo back into his draw, "remember the story I told you long ago about this young woman called Achroi?"

"Yeah, vaguely," Ash answered as he scratched his chin, "but what's she got to do with it? I thought she was some random vampire assassin that used to work for you…until you killed her."

"Yes, yes, whatever," Midir said waving a hand, "but do you remember me telling you about the experiments I performed on her?"

"Yeah, you made some kind of drug that makes female vampires pregnant and blah, blah, blah."

"Yes, well, that girl you met last night was Merean."

"Yeah, you said that already."

"Merean's Achroi's daughter."

"Yeah, so? And I'm your son. Whoop-de-do."

"She's also a dhampir."

"What?" Ash asked slowly as he sat up, 'what do you mean she's also a dhampir? I thought I was the only one."

"Not quite. You're one of four."

"Four? There're four dhampirs in this world?" Ash asked astounded. All of a sudden he didn't feel so special anymore.

"Yes, there are four. You, Merean, a boy named Blade and another girl named Lilith."

"But, where are they? I thought you were the only one capable of creating dhampirs," Ash said gaping at his father.

"That's not entirely true. Centuries ago, there was some idiotic vampire who fell in love with some pitiful mortal girl and had a child together. It was the first dhampir, or should I say she was the first dhampir. Lilith."

"And what about Blade?"

"Blade was also born from a vampire/human relationship. Both of them are over 1000 years old. And very, very powerful. You would learn a lot from them if you were to ever meet them."

"Where do they live?" Ash asked excitedly. Meeting other dhampirs had always been one of his life long goals.

"In Rosstaria, where most of the vampire population lives. Only a few vampires choose to leave Rosstaria and venture elsewhere."

"Why do they live in Rosstaria? What's so special about that place?"

"It's the only place on this earth that is completely run by vampires. The only humans you would find there would be slaves or snack-boxes, as the vamps like to call them."

"How can you get there?" Ash asked; wanting to know so he could go there as soon as possible.

"Oh, it's not a place you can go by plane or by boat. You have to earn your way there."

"What?" Ash asked utterly confused again.

"You have to earn your way. You have to go through a series of tests, to prove that you're worthy enough to join the largest vampire coven on this earth and abide by all their rules and keep all their ancient secrets."

"Where do I start?" Ash asked.

"It's not a matter of being told where to go, but a matter of _finding_ where to go. It's sort of like a treasure hunt, but the things you will encounter are not only dangerous but also deadly. Only a few of the vamps that have left Rosstaria have the strength to make the return journey. Besides, who will go with you? You have to do the quest in twos, for you can only enter the city if you have a partner with you."

"Alright then. I'll go find myself a partner," Ash stated as he started to stand.

"But how? The only other dhampir outside of Rosstaria is Merean."

"What? Who cares about Merean? I'll just find another vamp to go with."

"Ah, but you can't," Midir said as he watched Ash get even more agitated, "you can only enter Rosstaria if you complete the test-"

"Yeah, yeah, I already know about-"

"And," Midir interrupted, 'with someone who is the same species as you."

"And like I said, I'll go find a vamp who wants to go with me."

"But you're not a vampire," Midir said, "You're a dhampir."

"So?" Ash asked impatiently.

"So, you have to take the tests to enter Rosstaria with another _dhampir._"

"Oh," Ash said as he plonked back into the chair, defeated.

"Yes, oh," Midir said, "which brings us to what I want you to do. I want you to find Merean and bring her here. That way I can talk to her, find some things out, and you can talk to her about going to Rosstaria with you."

"And if she refuses to come?"

"Well, I'm sure Ash the Great won't let some stupid dhampir girl get in the way of his plans."

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**Hey there everyone. Thanks for reading this. If you have any questions or are confused about something, just PM me or review and I'll get back to you. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and remember, I LOVE REVIEWS!! XDD**

**VampSa (Sarah)**


	4. Daughter To A Murderer

**Okay, this chapter is a flashback of when Samhain finally decided to tell Merean the truth about Achroi and who she really was. It's also about when Samhain told Merean that she was a dhampir. I'm just letting you know, it broke my heart when I wrote Mereans reaction when she learnt the truth about herself. Anyways, if this doesn't make sense, PM me and I'll try to explain it a bit better.**

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_Chapter Four_

Merean lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, dreading going to sleep. She had finally managed to put away all her new clothes and accessories a few hours ago and was now laying upon her bed, dreading the moment when her eyes would close and all the memories of her past would come swarming back to her.

On this day, 400 years ago, Mereans father Samhain had told her something that had changed her life forever. She remembered the day clearly; she remembered the smell of the cherry blossoms, the smell of vegetable stew that her stepmother Arcelia was cooking and the sounds of her younger twin stepbrothers playing in the yard. Remembering everything made it harder for her to go to sleep on this day, and even harder for her to forget.

Merean rolled onto her side and stared at her alarm clock on the nightstand. It read 2:20 am. Merean groaned and buried her face into the pillow. She'd been awake for hours and she was sooo tired, but she didn't dare close her eyes. She didn't want to relive that day; she wanted to forget the whole thing. But she knew that that wasn't possible and that someday she'd have to face the demons from her past. So she rolled over once again and got into a comfortable position, closed her eyes, and dreamed.

Merean sat on the woven rug in the lounge room; playing with the new dolls that Da had recently given her. One doll had raven black hair and weird grey eyes, the other had corn silk hair and sky blue eyes. Merean preferred to play her adventure games with the darker haired doll because to Merean, that doll was the one who reminded her of her mother.

Merean placed the darker haired doll on the wooden toy horse that Grandmama had bought for her last Christmas, and the lighter haired doll in the makeshift wooden castle that Da had made for her. The lighter haired doll, which Merean had named Daphne, was to be the evil old witch who wanted to rule the world. The darker haired doll, which Merean had named Achroi after her mother, was to be the brave lady knight who was going to challenge the witch and kill her.

While Merean played peacefully on the rug, Samhain sat in the corner watching his daughter with a thoughtful expression. Merean now looked ten, even though she was only technically one. Samhain had tried his best to make her seem like a normal child, buying her the latest clothes that the young girls now wore, the newest books so she could quench her thirst for knowledge, and even letting her attend the local school.

Merean had loved school at first, had been excited to meet other children her age and to make friends. But a few years had passed, and Merean no longer liked attending school. Somehow she knew she was different from normal kids, and the other children teased her for it. Samhain had always told her that she was just special and unique and that the other children were just jealous of her.  
Merean, being young and naïve, had believed every word he had said back then and had even told the other children that she was special and they were just jealous, but as she grew older, Merean knew that there really was something wrong with her. She had complained to Samhain a number of times saying that she was faster, stronger and a lot smarter than the other children her age and come asking questions why, but Samhain had just ignored her and refused to answer her questions, knowing that she wasn't ready to know the truth just yet. But Samhain was wrong, it wasn't Merean who wasn't ready to know the truth, but Samhain who wasn't ready to tell her the truth.

So now he sat and watched her play, wondering whether now was the right time to tell her about her mother and who she truly was. He knew that Merean would be confused about it all, and possibly a little angry because he had kept the truth from her, but she would also understand. Merean was like that, one minute she would be fuming and confused, the next she would be compassionate and understanding.

Merean looked up from her mock battle to see Da watching her. He looked very confused and upset, and when she smiled at him he didn't return it. Merean frowned slightly and dropped her dolls, walking slowly over to Samhain. She placed one hand on his stubbly cheek and the other on his chin.

"What's wrong Da?" she asked, the perfect picture of childhood innocence.

"Nothing Merean," Samhain said, taking hold of her hands and kissing them gently.

"Don't lie, Da," Merean said sternly, "you know I can tell when you're lying."

"Yes, I know," Samhain replied. Merean had developed the uncanny ability to detect when someone was lying. They didn't have to be lying directly to her, they just had to say a lie and Merean would know. Now if someone weren't telling the truth in the household, Merean would be able to detect it and rat them out. But she wouldn't tell anyone but him if somebody they knew was lying to them.

"Then tell the truth," Merean ordered, "what's wrong?" Samhain hesitated.

"How about we go for a walk?" he asked nervously.

"No, Da. You tell me now," Merean said shaking her head vigorously.

"But it'd be better if we went for a walk," Samhain urged gently.

"No," Merean said sternly, "I don't want to go for a walk. It's too cold outside."

"Okay then," Samhain sighed, resigned. Merean clambered into his lap and settled back against his chest.

"Do you remember me telling you anything about your mother?" Samhain asked quietly as he stroked Mereans thick brown hair.

"Yes," Merean answered nodding, "you said she was a very strong and brave woman."

"She was," Samhain said, "she was also very smart. But that's not all she was."

"What else was she Da?" Merean asked looking up at him with wide grey eyes; her mother's eyes.

"Well, do you know those books you read? The ones with the monsters in them?" Samhain asked hesitantly.

"The ones with the monsters who look like humans and are absolutely beautiful but really, really deadly 'cause they suck your blood?" Merean asked, pulling her 'scary' face.

"Yes, those monster books," Samhain answered laughing at the expression on her face.

"What about them? What do they have to do with Mama?"

"Do you believe in those monsters, Merean? Do you think they're real?"

"No, I don't. They're a fairy tale, designed to scare us children," Merean answered matter-of-factly.

"But what if I said that they were real? What if I know that they are real?" Samhain asked, watching Merean closely.

"Then I'd say you were absolutely bonkers and call Doc Williams straight away," Merean answered giggling.

"Merean, please be serious about this," Samhain said quietly but with a hint of anger.

"Why Da? Why do I have to take this seriously? They're not real, they're fantasy."

"They are real. They're called vampyres. And they live amongst us, disguised as normal humans, but secretly feeding off of us in the shadow of night."

"That's impossible Da," Merean said, scrunching her nose.

"It isn't Merean. It is possible and they live with us and feed off of us. Just like your mother did."

"Mama? Mama was no 'vampyre' Da. That's just stupid," Merean said, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly.

"It's not stupid, its-"

"It's stupid, Da. My Mama was no vampyre," Merean said, as if that finished their conversation.

"Then why was Mama so strong? Why was Mama so fast? So brave? So smart?" Samhain asked.

"Mama was all those things because…because…" Merean struggled to answer, her brow creasing as she processed what Samhain had asked.

"Mama was all those things because she was a vampyre," Samhain stated simply.

"But, if Mama was a vampyre…" Merean said, her eyes growing wide as they glittered with tears, "was Mama evil then? If she was a vampyre?"

"No! No, no, no. Mama wasn't an evil vampyre, she was a good vampyre," Samhain said soothingly.

"Liar," Merean stated, pulling out of his grip.

"Okay, so maybe Mama was a bit evil. But she was only evil at the start because bad things had happened to her. But then she turned good," Samhain replied pulling Merean back into his arms.

"What bad things? Did someone hurt Mama?" Merean asked.

"Yes, someone hurt Mama. But that was many, many years ago," Samhain said.

"Were you there when bad things happened to Mama?" Merean asked tearily.

"I was there when some bad things happened to her," Samhain said, his own eyes starting to tear, "but I wasn't there when the big bad thing happened. The first big bad thing."

"What first big bad thing?" Merean asked, tears spilling down her rosy red cheeks.

"When Mama was killed," Samhain replied quietly.

"But you were there when Mama was killed," Merean pointed out.

"I wasn't there the first time," Samhain answered sadly.

"What do you mean?" Merean asked, her brow creasing in confusion.

"I wasn't there when Mama died for the first time. You see, Mama died a long time ago, long before I was born or my parents were born."

"But how's that possible?"

"Vampyres are the living dead, Merean," Samhain explained slowly, "to turn someone into a vampyre, you have to drink their blood and mix your venom into their blood. Then that person dies and reawakens as a vampyre."

"Is that what happened to Mama?"

"Yes. Mama was murdered. But she was not meant to turn into a vampyre. She was meant to stay dead; she was just food."

"Mama wasn't meant to live?" Merean asked, her voice breaking.

"No, she wasn't. But she did. And she became very powerful because of it."

"But she also became very evil," Merean said.

"Yes, she became very evil, but only because evil things had been done to her," Samhain explained, not wanting his beloved Achroi to be called evil.

"So when did you meet Mama?" Merean asked, completely changing the subject. She didn't want to have to talk about her Mama's first death; it was too much to bear, knowing that her mother was some type of evil monster but not so evil in the end.

"I meet Mama about a year ago, when I first moved here," Samhain started, settling back into a more comfortable position so he could finally tell his adoptive daughter the story about her mother, "she was sent here to kill my father."

"Mama was meant to kill Grandda?" Merean asked, her eyes widening in shock.

"Yes, she was meant to kill Grandda," Samhain repeated, "Your Mama was an assassin. She was paid to kill people."

"But why?" Merean asked.

"Because that is what she did. It was how she stayed alive in this world," Samhain explained.

"But it's evil to kill someone," Merean pointed out.

"Yes, but with your mother, it was kill or be killed."

"Why?"

"Because back then it was hard for a vampyre to stay alive. They had to hunt at night, so no one would see them. And if anybody did see them, they'd be hunted down and killed. It was a harsh way to live, but they had to do it."

"So Mama had to kill people to stay alive," Merean said more to herself than anyone else. She was finally starting to understand this whole vampyre thing.

"Yes."

"Okay, back to the story. Where did you meet?" Merean demanded.

Samhain laughed. "We met at a ball. It was held at the town hall, and almost all the nobility of the village was there. I was wandering around the room, just casually taking in my surroundings when I saw her. She was standing across the room, looking at me weirdly. She seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't recall where I had seen her. Then she started walking towards me and that's when I realised who she was. Earlier on that day, when I had been wandering the streets aimlessly, a man had run shrieking down the street, with your mother chasing after him. I don't know why she was chasing him, but I do know that she killed him."

"She killed him?" Merean asked shocked once again at how her mother killed people.

"He had information about my father. Of course she was going to kill him, it was part of her job," Samhain explained, "Please try to understand that your mother was not evil, just scared and confused."

"Okay," Merean grumbled, "but I still don't like it. Now continue."

"I will if you stop interrupting," Samhain scolded, "after I realised who she was, I backed away quickly and looked for anyone who might help me. I couldn't find anyone so I turned my attention back to the girl but she was gone. I quickly forgot about her and danced with most of the young girls there. I soon became sick of dancing and went outside to get some air. That's when I first really met your mother. She appeared in front-"

"Wait!" Merean interrupted again, "you didn't say what Mama was wearing!"

"She was wearing a plain white gown and white slippers. Her black hair fell to her waist and she had intricate little braids woven through it. Now that I think back on it, she was actually quite beautiful," Samhain breathed, "beautiful but strange."

"Was that when you fell for her?" Merean asked, smiling dreamily.

"No, I was actually quite afraid of her," Samhain admitted.

Merean snorted. "You were afraid of Mama?" She burst out laughing.

"Be quiet. Your mother was quite intimidating," Samhain said indignantly, "anyway, she appeared in front of me and almost scared the living daylights out of me. I asked her who she was but she just stared at me with that strange look she gets. I asked her again who she was and she told me. She said her name was Achroi. At the time I thought it was strange. I then asked her what she was doing and she replied that she was watching. I asked her what she was watching, expecting it to be some kind of object, then I was even more afraid of her when she said she was watching me."

"Mama was watching you?" Merean asked, "how sweet."

"It wasn't sweet at the time," Samhain answered frowning.

"Why not?" Merean asked, "When a girl says she's watching you, it means she likes you."

"That may be," Samhain said smiling slightly, "but when Achroi says she's watching you, it means she's going to kill you."

"Mama was going to kill you?" Merean asked.

"I'm not sure. I think she did plan on killing me at one point, but then she changed her mind. I think the moment she changed her mind about killing me was the moment when she changed the path of her life. After she said she was watching me, she asked for my name. I told her it and she said it was a strange name, so I retorted by saying that Achroi was a strange name."

"Did she bonk you on the head for that?" Merean asked eagerly.

"No, she didn't," Samhain answered, frowning at the eager look on Mereans face, "she just shrugged. Then she walked away and warned me that I had better watch my back, because I never know who might be watching."

"And Mama was watching you," Merean said, "no matter what you say, that's sweet."

"I suppose," Samhain said sighing.

"Then what?" Merean asked.

"I had a nightmare…"

Samhain spent the rest of the night explaining the story of Achroi and how everything had happened. Merean cried in his arms and so did Samhain when he got to the part about Achroi's second and final death.

"So…so…this Midir person killed my Mama?" Merean asked quietly.

"Yes, he killed your Mama," Samhain answered thickly, the tears obscuring his voice.

"Then I'll kill him," Merean vowed. Her voice was quiet and small but Samhain could hear the threat and menace in those words.

"You won't be able to kill him," Samhain said, "He's much too powerful."

"Then I'll get stronger. I'll get stronger and stronger until I can fight him and kill him," Merean stated as she sat up, "I'll make him suffer like Mama suffered, but I'll make him suffer ten fold because he made my Mama suffer twice. Midir has to pay, Da, and I'm going to make him pay dearly."

"Now, Merean, calm down," Samhain said, eyeing his daughter worriedly. It seemed that it wasn't only the eyes and hair that Merean had inherited, but the stubborn streak and the burning need for revenge and retribution.

"I am calm Da," Merean reassured him, "I'll only kill him in a few years when I'm older and stronger. And don't worry, I'll be a good little girl and tell you where I'm going and I promise to be back by midnight." Samhain stared at her in disbelief; she was Achroi all over. Merean spent the next few minutes telling Samhain the methods she was going to use to kill Midir. One included strapping him to the same table that he had strapped Achroi to and experimented on her. Samhain thought that Merean had run out of torture ideas when she became silent, but then he shocked her with the question he had dreaded she would ask.

"Da, if Mama's a vampyre…what am I?" Merean asked her eyes filled with confusion.

"Well, it's hard to explain," Samhain answered, wondering what to tell her and how much to tell her.

"Just tell me straight, Da. Don't sugarcoat it for me, I want the whole truth and nothing but the truth," Merean said, hammering Samhain with her steady gaze.

"Alright. I won't sugar coat it for you," Samhain said, "but I'm telling you now, you might not like what I'm about to tell you."

"Am I a vampyre?" Merean asked excitedly, "Is that why I'm faster and stronger and smarter than the other kids?"

"No, you're not a vampyre," Samhain answered as he watched Mereans face fall, "but vampirism has something to do with it."

"What do you mean?" Merean asked, "am I a vampyre or not, Da? Don't confuse me, you'll hurt my head."

"You're half and half," Samhain explained, "you're half human, half vampyre."

"Half and half?" Merean stated, looking disgusted, "you mean I'm some kind of…freak?"

"No! Merean you are not a freak!" Samhain said sternly, "don't ever let me hear you say that again. You are special. You're unique. You're a dhampir."

"A what?" Merean asked looking at Samhain as if he were mad.

"A dhampir," Samhain repeated, "half human, half vampyre. You look like a human, but have the traits of a vampyre."

"What traits?"

"You're stronger, faster, smarter, and you don't age as fast," Samhain said.

"You mean I don't age? I'm going to stay young forever?" Merean asked, growing excited once again.

"You will age, just not as fast as humans," Samhain explained, "How old are you?"

"I'm ten," Merean answered, "you know I'm ten."

"No, you're not ten," Samhain corrected, "You're one."

"WHAT?!" Merean screeched, "How can I be one?! I don't look one, and I certainly don't act one!"

"I know that Merean, just calm down," Samhain said, "Like I said, you age differently. When dhampirs are young like you, they age very quickly. When you were three months old you looked like you were two. Technically you've only been alive for one year, but have the body, mind and spirit of a ten-year-old. When you hit sixteen, you'll begin to age normally, or so I think."

"Or so you think?" Merean asked swallowing back tears.

"Yes. I'm not certain about all this. I don't know enough about vampyres or dhampirs," Samhain said, "I'm just telling you what I know."

"I always knew I wasn't like everybody else," Merean muttered darkly.

"You're just unique. You're a very special, very clever-"

"I'M A FREAK!" Merean screamed, and she yanked herself from Samhains arms and ran out the front door to the safety of her cherry blossom tree. She finally let the tears fall, telling herself over and over again that she was a freak and that she would never fit in. No one would ever want a freak like her. She would always be the outcast, always be the one on the fringes of society. She was freak, and the daughter to a murderer.

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**Well, I hope you enjoyed it and that it broke your hearts too *tear*  
Please review!! 3**

**VampSa (Sarah)**


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